


Mysterious Reasons

by Lokisgame



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Fluff and Humor, I know I'm no Jane Austen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-27 06:17:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12075225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokisgame/pseuds/Lokisgame
Summary: Charles studied at Oxford... That summer he came home for the holidays and brought a friend with him.





	1. Chapter 1

Captain William Scully and his sweet wife Margaret, whom everyone called Maggie, had four children, two sons, William Jr. and Charles, and two daughters Melissa and Dana.  
When Melissa and William Jr. were little, their father spent a lot of time at sea, and their mother raised them practically by herself which made William, Bill to his family, the keeper of rules and Melissa, Missy to her friends, the one to break them.  
Shortly after Dana was born, Captain Scully was wounded on duty and sent home. His leg, pierced by a bullet from a pirate’s musket, needed time to heal and that time was spent with his little daughter, who was soon joined by a baby brother, Charlie.  
Youngest children of Captain Scully enjoyed privileges their two older siblings never knew in their childhood. Dana and Charles grew up with legends of sea monsters and myths about heroes and gods living in the sky, where the stars kept their stories and people passed them on, parent to child. As they grew up, Dana became ever curious about the world, always asking questions and going through books in her father’s library, where Charlie got lost in his imagination, making up stories of his own, joining his favorite heroes on new adventures in the vast gardens of their family’s country house.  
The years went by swiftly, Bill joined the navy, as his father wanted for his eldest son, Melissa remained a little troublesome, but only just enough to make all the young men in the county curious about her when the time was right.  
Both elder Scully children were married now, with children of their own running under foot of their aunt and uncle, who’s childlike curiosity and fearlessness made them kindred spirits with the youngsters. 

Charles studied at Oxford, following his father’s advice that in order to dream, one had to keep one foot in reality, to know the difference in a time of need. That summer he came home for the holidays and brought a friend with him. Dana was very happy to see that he finally found someone with whom he could share his passion for stars and legends, because God knew, he couldn’t do that with Bill.  
Mulder (Fox really, but he insisted to be called by his last name at all times) and Charles met at school, two students of law sharing a passion for legends and myths and folk tales. They quickly became friends and enjoyed each other’s company, as much in the library as at the card table, where they were usually joined by three other young gentlemen, Mr Langly, Mr Frohike and Mr Byers, who maybe weren’t as fortunate as the first two, but made up for it in loyally, wit and fearlessness that bordered on insanity. One could never be bored around those three. 

 

Mister Fox Mulder was a young gentleman with disposition leaning more towards scholarly pursuits than social life or romantic conquer and ironically enough, through his family’s wealth, a most eligible bachelor. He was a tall, handsome man, who carried himself with confidence but also a good measure of distance, which made him a mystery to strangers and people versed in ways of the society, a legend that made many young ladies sigh at the very mention of his name.  
Unfortunately for them he was completely uninterested in marriage. To his mother’s despair, who planned his union Miss Fowley, the eldest daughter of her closest friend and confidant, Mrs Fowley. Young Diana was Fox’s age, but he, growing up listening to her praise, was thinking of her about as much as he thought about his mother’s other friends, which was very little at best.  
His manners were impeccable, no one could deny that, but he simply wasn’t interested in sharing himself with anyone, apart from a few trusted friends, who in turn declared him most kind and open hearted man they have ever met.

Mr and Mrs Mulder had a daughter as well, young Samantha with her bubbly laugh and outgoing personality was the closest person Fox ever had and they shared an unusual bond, very rare between brothers and sisters. They knew each other’s secrets, confided in each other, listened to and respected each other’s opinions.  
When their mother tried to convince Samantha of merits of some young man or other, it was Fox that came to his sister’s aid. If he didn’t like him, the boy most likely didn’t stand a chance. If his mother started to bemoan Fox’s disinterest in settling down, Samantha was there to distract her with some fine song or embroidery that she needed help with.  
Their family’s fortune let them both take their time, and as much their parents would like them to settle and live their own happy lives, both Fox and Samantha enjoyed their privileges and waited for true love to find its’ way to their hearts. 

 

It was a fine afternoon, and the whole Scully family was sharing tea and raspberry cake in the garden. Missy and her mother chatted keeping an eye on Emily, who played with her grandmother’s dog. Charles and Ethan, Missy’s husband, debated some business in hushed voices, as not to bore the ladies with such mundane topics. Dana sat a little to the side, looking through the sky atlas, admiring the precise illumination of each page, and trying to draw the creatures herself. Fox watched her focused expression from a distance, the lowering sun shining through her fiery hair, setting them ablaze. Her skin was cream and her neck made swans bow their heads as if she were their queen, ethereal beauty of her small form, elegantly poised under the big oak drew him in. He sat next to her and looked at her drawing of a twin-tailed mermaid.  
"Do you believe there are beings other than us amongst the stars, Miss Scully?" His question took her by surprise, what an odd thing to ask.  
"Logically I would have to say no” she replied without looking up “and even if they were, how would we travel there to meet them?”  
“Are you fond of logic?” he asked, surprised a little giving the topic of her drawings.  
“I’m fond of order, and knowledge, there are so many secrets in this world to be discovered” she looked up and was met by a pair of kind green eyes, a smile reaching their corners “I’d leave dreaming to other, more suited minds, like my brothers’ ” 

Dana looked away a little bashful, she wasn’t in the habit of speaking so freely and honestly to men she just met, keeping her distance was more like her, but something in him made her incapable of being anyone but herself.  
Her mother and sister always told her, that such language and behavior were dominion of men, and that they didn’t like women who spoke out of turn or meddled in their affairs. Acting this way, she might never find a husband.  
If she told her mother or sister how she felt about that they both would probably collapse. The truth was, Dana Scully, being still young and bright eyed, secretly believed that if a man couldn’t handle her mind, he didn’t deserve her heart. The only one whom she trusted and who supported her in that belief was her father, and her little brother.

“I can’t argue with that” he reached and gently pulled the page from under her hands to examine the drawing “you’re very talented.”  
“Thank you, but I’m afraid that’s the only artistic form of expression I can engage in.”  
“That can’t be true, you’re most likely judging yourself too harshly” that made her laugh.  
“Oh, believe me, you don’t want to hear me sing, and I can’t play any musical instruments either”  
“But I’m sure your taste in music is impeccable” he looked down at the drawing and examined it again “the attention to detail is remarkable”  
The honest wonder in his voice made her blush scarlet.  
“Tell me, as which of these mythical creatures would you portrait me?”  
Did this man ask only unusual questions? Still, that earnest gaze was upon her and she considered her answer.  
Her look became critical, she was assessing and measuring some mystical factors hidden somewhere between his lips and eyebrows and for a second he regretted his boldness and wanted to take a step back.  
“You have strong features, I’d say, a centaur, strong and fast, and a little wild”  
Mulder’s breath caught, his eyes went wide, and in that second their eyes met and held for a while.  
“How did you know?” He asked, trying to sound calm, and steady his racing heart.  
“Know what?” she smiled, still holding his gaze, but not as tight as a second ago, a silk blue ribbon she was tying around his heart.  
“That I love to run?”


	2. Chapter 2

After dinner, where Mr Mulder couldn’t express enough of his appreciation for the excellent cooking, the men retired to the library for brandy and cards and Dana reluctantly said goodnight to her new friend.  
“You’re awfully quiet tonight dear sister” Melissa said without looking up from her embroidery.  
“I’m just tired, that’s all” Dana replied, eyes fixed on the book in her hands.  
“You spend too much time in those books of yours, come and sit with us by the fire”  
She sat on the floor by the hearth and took her mother’s dog, a white terrier pup, on her lap. The furry beast was happy to oblige.  
“What do you think of your brother’s friend my dear?” Her mother asked tentatively.  
“He’s nice enough” Dana kept her emotions from showing by playfully pulling the dog by the ears.  
“Is that all you have to say after spending almost entire afternoon with him?”  
“Mother” there was a hint of exasperated warning in her tone.  
“Dana, darling, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing” Maggie sighed pushing the needle through moss green fabric of a pillowcase “you both seemed so comfortable around each other”  
“It was more than that” Missy joked without looking up.  
“Do you both think I’d assume anything about his character on the spot?”  
“We’re just happy to see you take a step forward and giving the boy a chance” Missy said in a conciliatory tone.  
“Exactly” the older lady agreed, aware of her daughter’s stubborn streak, a gift from her father.  
“Well, I stand by my initial words, he’s nice” the dog licked her hands and Dana was glad her mother knew her enough not to probe any further that evening.

 

Yet the truth was, neither of them could sleep that night. Full moon made them restless, the sheets and pillows were their enemies, biting and scratching and overheating. The scent of summer rain that washed the grass and trees shortly after supper, filled their heads with images of mythical creatures with familiar faces. 

She was a siren and he felt her call like the call of the sea. When he was a young boy, Mulder used to sneak out from the house at dawn to run along the beach, away from family and safety, and towards freedom. If he ever saw a woman as pure as if she just came out of the water to meet him, a Venus born from waves, her skin mother of pearl and smile like the first glimpse of sunrise above endless waters, Miss Dana Scully was exactly that. Her serious answers to his seemingly silly questions filled Mulder with awe, she was a woman he could have a real conversation with, he wanted to talk to her right now, ask her what she thought of the moon shining so bright, ask if she needed anything, if she's not afraid of the creatures of the night. He laid in bed with his arms crossed under his head and watched the shadows travel the chalk white ceiling, wondering what lands she visited tonight in her dreams.  
Time passed, the clock over the fireplace chimed one o’clock in the morning and he still didn’t feel tired. The night was too quiet, this house, old and comfortable with it’s creaks and moans barely noticeable, felt like a home away from home. Time passed, his stomach rumbled yet again. Maybe that was it? Maybe it was hunger that kept him restless and scared away sleep. It was a little bold, but no one would begrudge him looking for a little snack, would they? He pulled on his robe and headed where, as Charles had told him, the kitchen would be.  
The more Mulder tried to keep quiet, the more the floor creaked under his feet, luckily closed doors saved him from being noticed as he made his way downstairs.  
The fire in the fireplace was almost cold, but the night was bright enough that he didn’t need a candle to find his way around. The dough was growing under a piece of white cloth, ready to be backed fresh for breakfast for the family to share. Some cold meats were left out from supper and he helped himself, hoping that he wasn’t overstepping by filling a small plate.  
Mulder sat by the wooden table and enjoyed the fine cooking. His mother’s cook was superb, capable of fixing exquisite meals and putting together lavish dinner parties, but this simple ham and home made cheese and backed pate tasted like home cooked meal should taste like, made with love and care for the pleasure of this family. No fancy dish could taste better.  
He was about to take a sip of water to wash down a bite of bread when a squeaking board betrayed someone’s presence and made color spring to his face. 

 

In the safety of her bedroom, Miss Scully curled under the covers and watched the moon wander the sky above the gardens, thinking about Mister Mulder. He wasn't like other young men she met so far, he actually listened to what she had to say, and argued with her, politely and good naturedly, instead of laughing and dismissing her ideas immediately. 

“What do you think, do mermaids sleep on beds of seaweeds or do they float like fish, suspended on currents and resting their fins?”  
“If they do exist…  
“Oh they exist” her father interjected listening to their conversation with an indulgent smile.  
“Well, I’m sure they like to sleep comfortably just as much as we do, right father?”  
“Don’t ask me, when you’re on a ship, comfort means to sleep at all, the Captain must always be ready to take action”  
Although his questions began as inconsequential banter, their conversation steered into deeper waters, touching on matters close to her heart, things that kept her up at night.  
“Miss Scully, I‘m sure you could be a doctor if you wanted to, you’d have a very pleasant bedside manner to accompany your skills. Why can’t women do the same things as men, if you are clearly far superior beings to us, men folk.”  
“Because very few think as you do”  
“The world is full of fools, I think anyone who’s willing to step up and face the challenge deserves a chance to test his or hers strength in any field.”  
“That sounds like a dream”

Mr Mulder’s peculiar humor made her laugh on the inside and that shone through her smiles, warming her usually composed exterior. He also challenged her imagination and made her think of new things, his simmering enthusiasm for learning new things was infectious, and there was something in his hazel green eyes, that made her trace them on air, painting a portrait of him in moonshine. Her mind couldn’t rest, too many images plagued her thoughts as time passed. She needed a distraction, something to free herself for a moment from the thoughts of him.  
She put on her robe and made her way down to the kitchen, aptly avoiding loose floorboards and creaking steps, barefoot and silent. She heard her father snore loudly in contrary to his words, the floor by Charlie's door was colder for he was in the habit of sleeping with his windows wide open, Missy's and Emily's room was unusually quiet, the little girl must've been really tired. Her father's basset hound slept by the front door and opened one eye as she passed him, the unlikely sentinel of the Scully household. Ever since she woke the cook by accidentally knocking over some pots and pans whilst rummaging through cupboards and pantry, the kind Mrs. Birch always left something out for her to nibble on without waking the entire house.  
Yet tonight, someone was in the kitchen before her, she heard the soft scrape of one of the chairs over the wooden floor, a light thump of a plate. Thankful for the darkness that hid her from the eyes of whoever it might be, she chanced a peek into the kitchen and the revelation stunned her silent, if only for a moment.  
Dana stood in the doorway, gathering the robe around herself with modesty and watched Mister Mulder eat for a long moment, smiling a little at the pure enjoyment, free from bounds of stiff etiquette and informal formality of being the newest addition to the family party. If it was anyone else, she’d probably run away, or be outraged at the audacity, but although he arrived only yesterday, already he felt like he belonged to the family. Only not as her brother, when she saw Charlie her heart didn’t flutter and her cheeks didn’t blush, like they did now. She took a step forward, and a treacherous floorboard gave away her hideout. 

Startled, Mulder scrambled to stand up, to say something, apologize for abusing her family’s hospitality. Then he saw her press one finger over her smile in a plea for silence, and instantly calmed down.  
“Good evening” she said quietly picking a chair on the opposite side of the table “I see you started without me”  
“I am so sorry, I hope you don’t mind” Mulder sat down and unsure what to do next, watched.  
“Of course not, in this house no one ever goes hungry” she smiled reaching for whatever he left for her, and deciding it’s a little too much, Dana filled her plate with the same things he had and smiled encouragingly “don’t mind me, please, eat”  
“Thank you” a little self-consciously, Mulder filled a cup for her and they both ate in silence for a long moment.  
“Can’t sleep?” He asked between bites of the finest bread in the county, voice hushed in the moonlit darkness. She shook her head, nibbling on a morsel of roasted chicken breast.  
“Neither can you, something wrong with your room?” The kitchen was bright enough to show his timid smile.  
“No, I don’t sleep much in general”  
“Why is that?”  
“I think too much, I guess” about things like did he call her to him by way of some mystic connection they formed that evening?  
“Oh yes, that can really be a problem” she looked down, hiding the blush.  
Mulder tried to dig himself out of this before he slipped something embarrassing “I said this before, but let me tell you again, this is the finest meal I had in years”  
She huffed out a soft laugh, finished with her food. “I doubt that.”  
“Trust me, the food, the company, I’m grateful for your hospitality”  
“Mister Mulder, a friend of Charlie’s is a friend to the family, you’ll always be welcome here”  
“Thank you” he lowered his gaze as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, watching him pick at the crumbs on his plate “for trusting me, I know it’s not entirely proper to keep you here, alone, in the middle of the night”  
“Am I in any danger?” She tried to hide her smile.  
“Of course not” he looked up and, seeing her lips curl upwards, let go of his doubts “I myself have a sister and I know how fragile a young lady’s reputation can be”  
“How old is she?”  
“Your age, and it is my sincere hope you’ll have a chance to meet her one day”  
“I would like that, very much”  
“You left something for me?” A sleepy voice from the door startled them both. It was Charlie, leaning on the doorframe and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
“Why are you up?” Dana asked quietly as he sat next to her, resting his head on her shoulder, like he always did since they were little.  
“Full moon” he yawned “it’s too bright”  
“You could always draw the blinds” Mulder chuckled softly, gathering the empty plates as Charlie took command of the remaining food on the plater.  
“Such obvious remedy, I’ll try to remember it next time” all three of them smiled at that.  
“I’ll leave you boys to your secrets” Dana got up and kissed the top of her brother’s head “G’night”  
“Good night Miss Scully” Mulder said softly bowing his head and was rewarded with the sweetest, softest smile.  
“Good night” she whispered, then left as quietly as she appeared, as if she herself was a dream. 

“So, my sister caught your eye?” Charlie asked around a mouthful of bread.  
“You disapprove?” Mulder’s words were cautious.  
“My friend, if she’ll want you, I’ll be your best man”


End file.
